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Introduction to Proverbs
What’s the main point of Proverbs? It’s laid out in the introduction section. Notice the beauty of the structure of the text Proverbs 1:2-7 To know wisdom and instruction; To perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and …
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Further Defense of James White on Providential Preservation
My previous post (link), defending Dr. James White against the false accusation that he rejects the Reformed doctrine of providential preservation, received a response in a facebook group. The following provides detailed rebuttals/responses/replies to the comments provided. I will label Dr. White’s critic/accuser as “N” for “Negative,” as he expressed a negative opinion about Dr.…
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James White and Providential Preservation
Dr. James White has managed to become something of a lightning rod for advocates of the King James Version and its corresponding back-translation into Koine Greek, the Textus Receptus (as provided by F.H.A. Scrivener in 1894). There are a wide array of KJV advocates, but one narrow band of the spectrum alleges that it is…
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Early Marian Veneration
So, when did Marian veneration begin? The earliest record we have of something approach Marian veneration is this: Luke 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which…
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Early Marian Prayers?
Continuing the series (first response)(second response) of responses to an article about allegedly early veneration of Mary (link to original article), we now examine some alleged early prayers to Mary. I will quote the post author and then provide my additional comments. 1) Sub Tuum Praesidium The Sub Tuum Praesidium petitions: “O Mother of God:…
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Does Ode of Solomon 19 Evidence Early Christian Veneration of Mary?
In a previous post (link), we demonstrated an error that alleged veneration of Mary in Psalm 45. The same author (link to post) argued that Ode of Solomon 19 provides an example of early Christian veneration of Mary. On the other hand, while the Odes of Solomon are certainly “Christian” in some sense, they are…
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The Queen in Psalm 45
I recently came across an argument asserting that there is veneration of Mary in Psalm 45 (Septuagint Psalm 44). I thought it might be interesting to get a Patristic take on this. In particular, the first part of the argument is that the Queen in Psalm 45 is Mary. I could not find a single…
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Mary, Another Redeemer?
Roman Catholic Pope Francis weighed in on the debate over the question of whether Mary is a co-redemptrix (link to Vatican site): Christ is the Mediator, Christ is the bridge that we cross to turn to the Father (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2674). He is the only Redeemer: there are no co-redeemers with…
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Verbs and Biblical Exegesis – Two Examples
I recently came across the following paragraph that captures an issue that turns out to be significant for exegesis as it relates to Calvinism and also to Hell. Any event can be construed from a variety of perspectives. While this flexibility is fundamental to human ingenuity, it poses a challenge for language learners who must…
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Rebuttal Thoughts – Romans 9 Debate
These will not make a lot of sense without the context of the debate, and I may pull this post shortly. The main counter-point to consider is this: what does God take credit for? The short answer: everything. Remember how all things work together for good to those who are the called? The same point…